How to Clean a Zippo Lighter

Zippo produce one of the best lighters in the world. Many people will feel proud owning one of those. Which is more – you don't have to be a smoker to admire the perfection of a good lighter. Many collectors have lighters which cost thousands of dollars. However, no matter if you use the lighter often, or if you simply keep it for display, with time the colour of it will begin to fade, some minor stains may occur and stay. If you want it to last longer than your lifespan, you should read this guide. Here I will tell you how easily it is to clean your Zippo lighters.

The instructions are really quite simple. There are only a few important things which you'll have to remember, in order to clean and maintain your lighter safe and sound.

The first step is to open the top of the lighter and take out the insert. It contains the lighter fluid inside. The lighter fluid contains a portion of gasoline and some other burning chemicals and feel warm on touch. It also can dilute coats, paints and wax, ans so don't leave the insert on any such surface. Place it on a soft, thick towel.

Afterwards you should clean the chamber of the insert. To do that, cleaners in Lewisham advise you to use a simple cotton swab or a Q-tip. A cotton ball, wrapped around a stick works well too. Clean the inside of the lighter insert from the remaining fluid. While doing so you'll be removing the carbon build-up which often collects on this portion of the lighter.

Some pocket debris often collect within the lighter as well. Be sure to clean them. Use lighter fuel to clean the top hinge of the lighter. Its corrosive action will make it very easy. Do it in the same way as you'd have done with the chamber before. (Even when writing this article I can literally smell the gasoline from the lighter fluid).

Sometimes as the lighter burns, it creates black burned build-up near the outer edge of the cap of the lighter. The lighter fluid and some gentile scrubbing, either with yet another Q-tip, or with an edge of a paper towel, can remove it easily.

Continue with cleaning of the lighter's flint wheel. Run it along a paper towel, but be careful. The wheel might pop out of its sockets of you press too hard. If that does happen, simply push it back in. Note, that if you get it out once it will come out much easier the second time, so you'll have to be more mindful of it from that moment on.

Once all of the interior of the lighter is clean, put it back together and finish the job by polishing the outside of the lighter with some rubbing alcohol or other polishing fluid of your choice.